Diagnostic imaging like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is becoming a more important issue in the area of therapy. In particular, diagnostic imaging is used in the area of cancer treatments to plan an efficient treatment of cancerous tissues in an area of interest of the subject of interest, as described e.g. in WO 02/082995 A1. As described therein, a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus is used to plan a treatment regimen using a linear accelerator (linac). The features of slice width selection and depth selection are used to better ascertain where a medial malignancy is within a subject of interest, which is an animate being, e.g. a human being or an animal. A conversion algorithm translates the linac input into an imaging region for a magnetic resonance sequence that images the malignancy. Along each planned treatment trajectory radiation and MR projection images are superimposed to delineate the malignancy clearly for beam aiming and collimation adjustments. This enables a reliable planning of the treatment.
Nevertheless, the effectiveness of the treatment is not known during the irradiation treatment. This also applies to all kinds of treatments, in particular cancer treatments, where cells within the subject of interest are destroyed. Similarly, the cell death due to chemotherapy or tissue necrosis due to heating is difficult to measure. Current MR imaging and MR spectroscopy, which rely on blood oxygen level, are sensitive to patient movement and errors from signal changes due to the therapy.
U.S. Pat. No. 528,411 describes a hyperthermia/MRI probe which is utilized to monitor temperatures within a heating zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,411 describes an ultrasound apparatus, which can be used for thermal treatment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,411 mentions a method in which imaging for a treatment effect check is performed.